Spooky San Antonio: Haunted Places You Can Actually Visit
What to Do in San Antonio that's Unusual?
Considered to be Texas’s spookiest city, there are dozens of haunted places in San Antonio that you can actually visit. The city is home to many things: a 35-foot-tall cowboy boot sculpture, a colony of 20 million bats, authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, and more ghost stories than a Halloween campfire.
Restless spirits are said to wander everywhere from hotel hallways and local parks to life-sized dollhouses, historic fortresses, towering cathedrals, and more. Local lore would have you believe you can’t turn a corner without walking into, or through, something otherworldly, but some sites seem to attract more spooks than others. So read on to find out where to find San Antonio’s spookiest sites.
1. Spanish Governor’s Palace
An aristocratic residence with a military history and a spooky reputation
Good for: History, Photo
In the heart of downtown San Antonio stands a haunted palace that is not, technically, a royal residence: the Spanish Governor’s Palace. Built in the early 1800s, it served as a home and office for a long line of military captains. Later, it was leased out to numerous businesses before restorations began in the 1930s.
Shadows reportedly swing from the “Tree of Sorrows,” though the real hanging tree likely stood a block down the road, in front of City Hall. To learn more, take a tour and perhaps you’ll encounter a “Lady in Grey” at the windows, a crying girl seated by the well, or an infant whose bones were supposedly buried behind the chapel.
Location: 105 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
Open: Tuesday–Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +1 210-207-7527
Spanish Governor's Palace
2. The Haunted Dollhouse
Hundreds of spooky dolls and artifacts, and that’s just in the attic
Good for: Budget, Families, Unusual
The moment you step into The Haunted Dollhouse, dozens of eerily lifelike painted eyes seem to turn in your direction, following your every move. Home to hundreds of vintage dolls and other artifacts, this museum’s mission is to find forgotten oddities and give them a second chance. The resulting “dollhouse” feels anything but welcoming.
Take a tour led by paranormal investigators or bring your own team and check out countless curiosities: toys that turn on by themselves, a retro Ouija board, even a replica of the infamous Robert the Doll. Occasionally, electronic seances are also held in the extra-creepy attic. Attend a family-friendly monthly event like Summerween or the Creepmas party, where you can get a photo op with Krampus.
Location: 619 West Hildebrand Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
Open: Saturday from noon to 6 pm, Sunday from noon to 5 pm (closed on Monday–Friday)
Phone: +1 210-900-9122
The Haunted Dollhouse
3. The Alamo
An unforgettable historical site with a harrowing past
Good for: Families, History
Nowhere in Texas is as historically significant, or thoroughly haunted, as the Alamo. The site of a brutal and tragic battle in 1836, what remains of the fort is now a museum and memorial to the hundreds of souls who lost their lives defending it. Take a historical tour inside the fortress walls or stop by on a local ghost tour.
Spectral sightings began just days after the battle ended and never stopped. Louis Moses Rose, the “Coward of the Alamo,” has been seen walking toward the site, claiming, ‘I’m going to the Alamo, where I belong.’ Look for a child’s face in an upstairs window, a man and a boy leaping from the parapet, and more.
Location: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
Open: Daily from 9 am to 5.30 pm
Phone: +1 210-225-1391
The Alamo
4. Donkey Lady Bridge
Where a local legend lurks in search of revenge
Good for: Adventure, Unusual
The Old Applewhite Bridge, better known as the “Donkey Lady Bridge,” is said to be frequented by one of the area’s most notorious urban legends. The Donkey Lady’s origin story has countless variations, but its bones remain consistent: a woman, horribly disfigured by a fire, once leapt off the bridge into the water, and never left.
Reported hauntings range from an uneasy feeling and the sound of hoofbeats to a screaming face in the darkness, hoof-like indentations left on car hoods, and even being chased through the dark woods by the Donkey Lady herself. You can no longer drive on the bridge, but you can park nearby and cross it on foot; just remember that the trailhead closes at sunset.
Location: Applewhite Rd, San Antonio, TX 78264, USA
Phone: +1 210-322-5571
Donkey Lady Bridge
5. The Emily Morgan Hotel
Rooms with killer views and halls haunted by restless spirits
Good for: History, Luxury
In a city riddled with ghosts, the Emily Morgan’s reputation as the most haunted hotel in San Antonio, and possibly the country, is no trivial distinction. While some of the spectral activity may be attributed to its proximity to the Alamo, the hotel has many spine-chilling stories of its own to tell.
Wander the halls and you might catch a glimpse of the “vanishing nurse.” Take the elevator and you may find yourself unexpectedly delivered to the 7th floor, which is unoccupied and off-limits. On the 9th floor, listen for echoing footsteps with no visible source. And beware staying in Room 810, where countless guests have awoken in a cold sweat during the night, convinced they are being watched.
Location: 705 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
Phone: +1 210-225-5100
The Emily Morgan Hotel
6. La Villita Historic Village
Bustling arts district by day, a paranormal hotspot by night
Good for: Shoppers, Unusual
San Antonio’s oldest neighborhood, La Villita Historic Village, predates even the Alamo, and may be just as full of ghosts. A flood ravaged the town in 1819, followed by violent revolutionary activity in 1835. By the 1920s, it had devolved into a slum; restoration efforts helped it become the thriving art community it is today.
Witnesses report cold spots, moving objects, shadowy figures, and a “Woman in White” lingering near the River Art Gallery. At the Chamade Jewelry Store, lingers the spirit of an apron-clad woman; another spectral lady frequents the Starving Artist gallery. Inside La Villita House, keep an eye out for an ethereal little girl waiting for someone to find her grandfather’s gold, buried somewhere on the property.
Location: 418 Villita St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
La Villita Historic Village
7. Victoria’s Black Swan Inn
A historied hotel and home from which many never departed
Good for: History, Unusual
Victoria’s Black Swan Inn may be named after Shakespeare’s favorite pub, but rumor has it the hotel hosts more ghosts than Hamlet ever could. Built on a historic battleground and what was possibly a sacred burial site before that, the hotel embraces its reputation, offering ghost tours and special bookings for investigations, even hosting the annual Paranormal Fest in September.
Visitors speak of spectral skirmishes, phantom drumming, and a Confederate soldier standing by the gazebo. The old barn seems particularly active; several former inhabitants have been seen there, and occasionally a voice demands, “Get out!” Look out for younger apparitions that play pranks behind the inn, jump on the mattresses, and sing to themselves in empty halls.
Location: 1006 Holbrook Rd Ste A, San Antonio, TX 78218, USA
Phone: +1 210-323-8424
Victoria's Black Swan Inn
8. San Fernando Cathedral
Where restless spirits wander hallowed halls
Good for: History, Unusual
The Church of San Fernando stands at the heart of San Antonio’s main plaza, and has witnessed much of the city’s tumultuous, sometimes bloody, history. Thanks to floods, fires, and the ravages of time, the towering cathedral has been rebuilt time and again. Some say this activity disturbed souls that were better left resting in peace.
Some visitors have seen ghastly faces peering out of the walls, in which priests and parishioners were once interred, and a white stallion galloping up to the entrance at night. Whether exploring the church with a guided tour or on your own, keep an eye out for glowing orbs, shadows crawling up columns, and hooded, monk-like figures at the back of the cathedral.
Location: 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
Open: Monday–Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 7 am to 6.30 pm
Phone: +1 210-227-1297
San Fernando Cathedral
9. Majestic Theatre
Where the show goes on, even beyond the grave
Good for: History, Unusual
The Majestic Theatre is a palatial, 14-story theater with a history as star-studded as its ornate ceiling, which may be why some guests seem to linger here even after death. Come to attend an unforgettable live performance, and you might spy the shadow who sits in the same box seat every night, or the apparition of the magician Zoroastro still performing after hours.
One legend tells of a ballerina, or sometimes an entire troupe, who suffered a fatal accident while performing and returns now and then to finish her final dance. Keep your eyes peeled on the upper-floor windows and you might see the face of a woman who fell to her death from an apartment above the theater.
Location: 224 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
Open: Monday–Thursday from noon to 5 pm, Friday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Saturdays and Sundays)
Phone: +1 210-226-5700
Majestic Theatre
10. San Pedro Springs Park
A beautiful place for a casual stroll or a ghostly game of hide-and-seek
Good for: Families, Adventure
One of the oldest parks in the USA, San Pedro Springs Park is thought to be a favorite haunt of both the living and the dead. Located just a few miles northwest of the downtown area, it has played many roles: a watering hole for hunter-gatherers, a municipal water supply, a prisoner-of-war camp, and a German beer garden, among others. A member of Buffalo Bill’s traveling troupe may even have performed here.
Have a picnic, take a hike, or swim in the pool, just keep an ear out for the sounds of children playing. Some visitors hear young voices giggling, even when no one is nearby. At night, prick up your ears and you might hear rythmic drumming.
Location: 2200 N Flores St, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to 11 pm
Phone: +1 210-207-8480
San Pedro Springs Park
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